Getty Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku.
One of the first moves the Cleveland Browns made in free agency was the signing of tight end Austin Hooper, making the former Atlanta Falcons standout the highest paid player at his position.
After the signing, many looked at current Browns TE David Njoku — a former first-round pick — and his future in Cleveland. However, Njoku has been complimentary of what the team has done this offseason and is pumped to get on the field in head coach Kevin Stefanski’s wide zone scheme, which utilizes multiple tight ends.
Njoku joined Nathan Zegura on the Browns official YouTube page to break down how his offseason has gone.
“I’m really excited. He’s a guy who loves his tight ends,” Njoku said of Stefanski. “And we just got a new one, Austin Hooper, who was a big-time get. We are going to have a lot of fun this year.”
Njoku previously responded to the news of Hooper’s signing on Twitter.
“Nahhhh man cmon I love competition,” Njoku wrote on Twitter, responding to a tweet speculating that he would want a trade more than ever. “We’ll push each other and get better together.”
David Njoku Hoping for Bounce-Back Season
GettyBrowns quarterback Baker Mayfield completes a pass to tight end David Njoku.
Njoku is seeking a bounce-back year after suffering a fractured wrist in Week 2 last season. He battled back into the lineup in Week 14, but dropped a ball that turned into an interception, leading him to be a healthy scratch the next two weeks. He suited up for the Browns final game of the season, but played just four snaps. In all, he had just five catches for 41 yards and one touchdown last season.
“It was pretty hectic last year for sure,” Njoku said. “We’re not going to go into right now. That’s behind us. I’m just really excited for this upcoming year.”
Njoku — the 29th overall pick in the 2017 draft — is a physical specimen at 6-foot-4, 246 pounds with 4.6 40-yard dash speed. In his second season, Njoku essentially doubled his production in the passing game from his rookie year, collecting 56 catches for 639 yards and four touchdowns.
“I’m looking forward to working with him,” Stefanski said of Njoku at the NFL Combine. “I think there’s an obvious skillset there. There’s a reason he was drafted that high. I think you can see it just in his physical ability and it’s a big year for David. I’ve explained that to him. He knows that and a lot of that is going to be up to him and the amount of work he puts into this and we have big plans for him but it’s about, for him, coming back in the building and working and then ultimately being able to see if we can utilize him in a role that can take advantage of some of his skillset.”
David Njoku Focused on Staying Healthy
GettyDavid Njoku was injured against the Jets.
While Njoku certainly has the physique to compete and has shown off his potential in spurts, his main focus is just to stay on the field.
“My No. 1 goal obviously is to stay healthy. For me, if I know I’m healthy, the sky is the limit,” Njoku said. “Obviously I didn’t have the year I wanted to have last year because of injuries. It took me out pretty much the whole season. Really staying healthy, once that’s established, everything else will follow.”
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